From a Japanese auction to your port

Tell us what you want

Send the criteria. The more specific it is, the faster the search goes.

• Model or body type
• Year range and budget
• Transmission and drivetrain
• Colour, mileage and condition preferences
• Destination port

We find candidates

We search Japanese dealer auctions, dealer stock and our own contacts. Auctions run weekly and volumes are high, so most common Kei trucks and vans appear quickly. Rarer vehicles take longer and we say so up front.

We inspect the vehicle

We read the auction sheet in Japanese and translate the grade and the noted defects. Where the vehicle is physically accessible to us we look at it in person and take photos and video, including cold start and undercarriage. If a vehicle can only be assessed from the sheet, we tell you that instead of pretending otherwise.

You approve it

You get the sheet, our notes, the photos and the video, plus the landed cost estimate for your port. Nothing is bought until you say go. If you pass, we keep looking at no extra cost within an agreed search.

Purchase and export

The vehicle is purchased in Japan in your name as the buyer. We handle deregistration, the export certificate and its translation, and book the sailing. Deposit and balance terms are agreed before we bid.

Ship to your port

Ocean transit to Honolulu and the West Coast is typically around three to five weeks depending on the sailing, and longer to Gulf and East Coast ports. You get the vessel, the sailing date and the expected arrival as soon as it is booked.

Pickup and import

You are the importer of record, so the vehicle enters in your name and you collect it at the terminal. We prepare the Japan-side documents you need and give you the pickup checklist for your port, including scheduling and free days. Customs entry, duties, inland transport and state registration are completed by you. We are glad to research your state's registration rules with you before you buy, but we do not complete them for you.